Don't just toss out broken saw blades, busted mirrors, and scrap wood. The trash lying around your house and your shop has uses you may never have imagined.

A Depth Gauge From a Broken Tape Measure

A Depth Gauge From a Broken Tape Measure

Next time you break a tape measure, make a handy ruler or depth gauge by cutting out a 12-inch section with tin snips. Start the gauge at the beginning of a 1-foot marker to ensure you have an easy-to-use 0-to-12-inch scale. The ultrathin material makes it ideal for measuring in tight spaces, such as mortises and thin kerf cuts.

A Table-Saw Pushstick From Scrap Wood

A Table-Saw Pushstick From Scrap Wood

What to do with small scrap pieces from the wood shop? You could burn them, use them decoratively, or turn them into table-saw pushsticks. A pushstick keeps your hand a safe distance from the blade while allowing you feed the item at a consistent rate through the saw. By design they're sacrificial—they often pass through the blade, especially when ripping narrow pieces—so stock up on a few different shapes and sizes. You'll save your fingers and give your wood scraps a second life.